Detachable skate frame

ABSTRACT

A skate includes an inverted groove-shaped base secured to a boot and including front and rear pins; an elongated frame including front and rear sets of a transverse inner groove and a transverse open groove communicating with the transverse inner groove, and a threaded hole on the transverse open groove of the front set wherein either pin is disposed in the transverse inner groove and the elongated frame abuts an underside of the base; and a locking device including a spring biased block member disposed in the transverse open groove of the front set and having two projections at two ends respectively, a screw driven through a positioning member into the threaded hole to fasten the positioning member in the transverse open groove of the front set so that the block member abuts the front pin to block same in an assembled state.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to skates and more particularly to a skate (e.g.,roller skate, inline skate or ice skate) having a detachable frame.

2. Description of Related Art

Attempts for providing a skate with a detachable frame are well known inthe art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,038 to Dong et al. discloses askate having a shoe portion detachably secured to a plurality oflongitudinally aligned skate wheels for traversing a surface. The shoeportion has a sole defining a toe end and a heel end. The skate furthercomprises a frame having an upper surface and a lower surface attachedto the wheels; a heel latch member rotatably attached to the frame forreceiving and coupling to a heel binding attachment surface located inthe heel end of the sole; a toe latch member attached to the frame forreceiving and coupling a toe binding member located in the toe end ofthe sole; and a lever arm attached to the heel latch member toselectively release or attach the shoe portion from the heel latchmember. The heel latch member is rotatable about a vertical axisextending normal to the elongate direction of the frame. The heel latchmember is rotatable between a locked position, wherein the heelattachment member is nested therein, and an open position, wherein theframe is detachable from the shoe portion to convert the skate into aconventional shoe.

While the device enjoys its success in the market, continuingimprovements in the exploitation of detachable skate frame of this typeare constantly being sought.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore one object of the invention to provide a skatecomprising a boot; an inverted groove-shaped base secured to the bootand including front and rear pins; an elongated frame including frontand rear sets of a transverse inner groove and a transverse open groovecommunicating with the transverse inner groove, and a threaded hole onthe transverse open groove of the front set wherein either the front pinor the rear pin is disposed in the transverse inner groove and theelongated frame abuts an underside of the base; ground engaging meanssecured to the elongated frame; and a locking device including a springbiased block member disposed in the transverse open groove of the frontset and having two projections at two ends respectively, the projectionsextending out of two ends of the transverse open groove of the front setrespectively, a positioning member partially disposed on the springbiased block member, and a threaded fastener driven through thepositioning member into the threaded hole to fasten the positioningmember in the transverse open groove of the front set so that the blockmember abuts the front pin to block same in an assembled state.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the inventionwill become apparent from the following detailed description taken withthe accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of an ice skate according to a firstpreferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the assembled ice skate;

FIG. 3 is a front view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of an inline skate according to a secondpreferred embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of a roller skate according to a thirdpreferred embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, an ice skate in accordance with a firstpreferred embodiment of the invention comprises a boot 10, a base 20, aframe 30, an ice blade 40 and a locking device 50 as discussed in detailbelow.

The inverted groove-shaped base 20 is secured to the boot 10 andincludes two pins 21. The frame 30 includes front and rear sets of atransverse inner groove 311 and a transverse open groove 312communicating with the transverse inner groove 311. Either pin 21 isdisposed in the transverse inner groove 311 after disposing through twosides of the base 20 and passing through the transverse open groove 312.Thus, the frame 30 abuts a bottom of a top of the base 20. The ice blade40 is secured to a bottom of the frame 30.

The locking device 50 as the subject of the invention is disposed in thetransverse open groove 312 of the front set and includes a block member51 disposed in the transverse open groove 312 of the front set andhaving two projections 511 at two ends respectively, the projections 511extending out of two ends of the transverse open groove 312 of the frontset respectively, two torsion springs 52 having a bottom urging againsta bottom of the transverse open groove 312 of the front set and a topurging against the block member 51, a positioning member 53, and a screw54 driven through the positioning member 53 into a threaded hole 32 ofthe frame 30 to fasten the positioning member 53 in the transverse opengroove 312 of the front set. Thus, the block member 51 abuts the frontpin 21 to block same in an assembled state.

A wearer may remove the rear pin 21 from the transverse inner groove 311of the rear set and remove the rear pin 21 from the transverse opengroove 312 of the rear set sequentially. Next, the wearer may lift arear portion of the base 20 by pivoting about the front pin 21 until theblock member 51 is sufficiently exposed. Next, the wearer may use thefingers to press the projections 511 with the torsion springs 52 beingcompressed until the transverse inner groove 311 of the front set is notblocked by the block member 51. Further, the wearer may remove the frontpin 21 from the transverse inner groove 311 of the front set and removethe front pin 21 from the transverse open groove 312 of the front setsequentially. As a result, the base 20 and the frame 30 are detached.

Steps reverse to the above steps can assemble the base 20 and the frame30.

Referring to FIG. 5, an inline skate in accordance with a secondpreferred embodiment of the invention is shown. The characteristics ofthe second preferred embodiment are substantially the same as that ofthe first preferred embodiment except the following: the ice blade 40 isreplaced by four wheels 41 arranged inline.

Referring to FIG. 6, a roller skate in accordance with a third preferredembodiment of the invention is shown. The characteristics of the thirdpreferred embodiment are substantially the same as that of the firstpreferred embodiment except the following: the ice blade 40 is replacedby two front wheels 42 arranged in a front, transverse, straight lineand two rear wheels 42 arranged in a rear, transverse, straight line.

While the invention has been described in terms of preferredembodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the inventioncan be practiced with modifications within the spirit and scope of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A skate, comprising: a boot; an invertedgroove-shaped base secured to the boot and including front and rearpins; an elongated frame including front and rear sets of a transverseinner groove and a transverse open groove communicating with thetransverse inner groove, and a threaded hole on the transverse opengroove of the front set wherein either the front pin or the rear pin isdisposed in the transverse inner groove and the elongated frame abuts anunderside of the base; ground engaging means secured to the elongatedframe; and a locking device including a spring biased block memberdisposed in the transverse open groove of the front set and having twoprojections at two ends respectively, the projections extending out oftwo ends of the transverse open groove of the front set respectively, apositioning member partially disposed on the spring biased block member,and a threaded fastener driven through the positioning member into thethreaded hole to fasten the positioning member in the transverse opengroove of the front set so that the block member abuts the front pin toblock same in an assembled state.
 2. The skate of claim 1, wherein theground engaging means is an ice blade.
 3. The skate of claim 1, whereinthe ground engaging means is a plurality of inline wheels.
 4. The skateof claim 1, wherein the ground engaging means is two inline front wheelsand two inline rear wheels.